"Armis!!! Stop walking, and tell us what happened back there?!!!" After being healed by their friends from the exhaustion and injuries sustained in the battle with Augustus, Armis and Alan wasted no time. Along with Team Solis, they pursued Augustus to the next floor. Walking frantically in pursuit, Armis tried to ignore the objections and demands of Aurelia, who followed behind him with Lyco, Poduria, and the rescued man, Father Zeneth.
"Yeah, man! Answer us! Is what Zeneth is telling us true? That maniac Augustus is killing and absorbing raiders?!" Lyco added to Aurelia's retorts.
Unfazed by their friends' protests, Armis kept moving forward, parting the dense foliage to clear a path ahead, with Alan tirelessly leaping from tree to tree, desperately searching for Augustus. Irritated by their friends' lack of awareness of the urgency at hand, Armis attempted to shut down their protests. "We don't have time for explanations! We have to find him before it's too late!"
"NO!!!" Aurelia's sudden leap in front of Armis halted him in his tracks, surprising him. She yelled at him in anger, frustrated from being denied answers repeatedly. "No, Armis, that's enough! You're going to tell us right now! You and Alan are hiding something."
As Aurelia mentioned Alan, Lyco and Poduria stepped forward, using water and ground manipulation to halt Alan, Leo, Felix, and Cesar. Frustrated by the sudden intervention, Leo retorted, "Get out of the way! I don't owe any of you anything, and I don't need any of your help either to find that bastard and kill h—"
"Yeah, just like you didn't need us to heal your ass before, you brat," Aurelia slung her sarcasm at Leo, along with a glare that stopped him in his tracks. Turning to Armis, she locked eyes with him, demanding sincerity in her anger.
Lyco stepped forward as well, addressing Alan's vacant gaze. "She's right, Alan. It's not like you to hide anything from us. So why now? Please tell us what's going on, and we'll do our best to help you guys."
Armis sighed heavily as the other pursuers settled on the ground, signaling the beginning of his explanation. With a lowered gaze, he began, "We were threatened... If Alan or I told anyone about anything related to Augustus, we would be murdered."
Aurelia's eyes widened in shock, a sentiment echoed by Lyco and Poduria. Concern etched deep in her voice, Aurelia asked, "Murdered by who?"
"Longiseus," Alan replied solemnly, his gaze still fixed ahead. At the mention of Longiseus's name, the man in priestly attire stepped forward, his expression one of disbelief. "Master Longiseus? Why would he do that?"
Feeling the weight of confusion pressing in, Podiria voiced the collective sentiment, "It's getting more and more confusing. Can someone explain simply what's going on?"
Armis took a deep breath before settling onto the ground, his voice carrying a mix of sternness and urgency as he began to explain, "Right after Venatus was killed, we saw Augustus. According to Longiseus, he had come into knowledge of an ancient, forgotten technique called Purgatio..."
"Purgatio?? Oh, heavens!" Father Zeneth exclaimed, his face flushing with horror, shocking everyone around him. Lyco, still confused, asked in a mocking tone, "And what exactly is this Purgatio?"
Without a moment's hesitation, Father Zeneth stepped forward, his gaze fixed on the sky as he began explaining in a tone laced with horror and reminiscence. "Purgatio is an ancient cursed technique first discovered by a group of early raiders. It describes a process where, when you kill a person with your marked weapon, the aura inside that person becomes tainted and is absorbed by the killer's mark. This, in turn, grants the killer insatiable powers, enhanced physique, and weapon enhancements. But using it with ill intent leads to the corruption of the killer's soul and mind."
After his explanation, Father Zeneth's rage boiled over, his teeth gritted in fury. "So that heathen did that to my fellow comrades… But," his expression shifted to puzzlement as he met Armis's gaze, "even in the church, we are taught that it's just a myth to instill fear and prevent murders?"
Armis took another sigh, steeling himself for the accusations that might spring up from his confession. He began in a calm voice, "No... it's true. I've done it. It does exist."
The widening of eyes and shock spread like wildfire through the group, except for Alan and Leo. All eyes turned to Armis in disbelief, some even in disgust. Aurelia, her face contorted with confusion and anger, grabbed Armis by the shoulders and exclaimed, "What?! Armis, are you hearing yourself? What are you saying? You murdered someone? This is a joke, right? Tell me it's a joke, Alan! Tell Armis to stop joking around!"
Alan stepped forward, his expression grave. "It's true. I was there. But Armis wasn't alone. We both did what we had to. Killing Venatus was the only way to stop him."
—-Thwap!—-
Aurelia slapped Alan hard across the face, stunning him into silence. Her voice trembling with fury, she scolded him, "Really? Alan, you're saying this?! Killing him was 'necessary'? Thank God Relecta isn't here to listen to this rubbish."
Hearing Relecta's name from Aurelia's mouth, Alan's soulless gaze flared with anger. He tried to silence Aurelia with a furious glare, but her tear-streaked, disgust-filled expression remained unfazed. Lyco, equally shocked and surprised, turned to Alan with a disappointed and confused expression.
"What? Why didn't you tell us any of this? Aren't we supposed to be friends?"
Armis, trying to plead their case, stepped forward. "We didn't want you to get hurt..." he said, his voice tinged with desperation. Moving towards Aurelia, he attempted to calm her down, his eyes reflecting his helplessness. "Longiseus threatened us. If we told anyone, he would shift the blame for all the chaos at the festival onto our group and have us executed."
"That's still not a reason! You should've trusted us, like we trust you, Armis!" Aurelia retorted, unable to contain her guilt and sadness. Aurelia's voice trembled as she fought back tears, her emotions overwhelming her. Unable to continue, she broke down crying. Poduria quickly moved to her side, wrapping her in a comforting hug and gently leading her away from the group.
"Well, there's no point crying about it now. What's done is done. What matters is—"
"Shut the fuck up! This doesn't concern you!" Lyco snapped at Leo, his eyes blazing with anger. Leo, taken aback, gritted his teeth but bit back any retort, rolling his eyes in frustration and remaining silent.
Armis observed the turmoil within his group, a heavy weight of guilt settling in his chest as he witnessed their distress over his confession.
Turning to Alan, who remained indifferent to their emotions, Armis sighed inwardly, knowing they couldn't afford to dwell on their feelings with Augustus still at large. With a sense of helplessness gnawing at him, Armis approached Lyco, his expression pleading for forgiveness.
"Lyco—" he began, but Lyco cut him off with a glare directed at Aurelia, his voice tinged with fury and disappointment.
"No, Armis, she's the one who needs this more than me. You broke all our trust, both of you! The Love lost dog is useless right now," Lyco's gaze shifted to Alan, who remained stoic, unaffected by the insult. Returning his attention to Armis, Lyco's tone softened slightly as he continued, "You're supposed to be our leader, right? It's your mess, clean it up."
Upon hearing Lyco's words, Armis straightened his posture, his determination evident in his demeanor as he nodded in acknowledgment. As Armis approached Aurelia, he felt the weight of his remorse heavy upon him, his every step a testament to his determination to mend the rift he had caused. Aurelia, her tear-stained face a reflection of her pain, turned to face him as he uttered her name, his voice trembling with anxiety.
"Aurelia…" he began, his words faltering with emotion. Seeing her nod to Poduria, who retreated with a glare of disappointment aimed at Armis, he knew he had to seize this moment to seek her forgiveness.
Reaching out to hold her trembling shoulders, Armis felt the weight of his guilt pressing down on him. Tears filled his eyes as he confessed, "Aurelia, I know I'm not worthy of your forgiveness for what I've done. I can't even forgive myself for the sins I've committed; they haunt me every night. But with all of you by my side, even for just a moment, I felt a glimmer of peace. You… all of you are like family to me, a family I never asked for but am grateful to have. We never wanted any of you to get hurt. I couldn't bear to lose any of you, especially after losing Adrian—"
"So what?!!! You were gonna kill that maniac all alone?!!! Huh?!" Aurelia's voice cracked with emotion as she countered Armis's reasoning. Tears glistened in her eyes, reflecting her inner turmoil. "Tell me?!! What if he had killed you and Alan as well?!! You think we could afford to lose you?!!!"
Armis stood before her, his own emotions swirling within him, rendered speechless by Aurelia's impassioned plea. He opened his mouth to respond, but words failed him as Aurelia continued, her voice trembling with intensity.
"No!!!! Armis No!!! We can't, I can't lose you!!!" Aurelia's voice rose, filled with desperation. "I couldn't imagine a moment without you!!! Not after you have made my life so good!!! No Armis I can't lose you, when you need me just as much I need you, Armis!!! I LOVE YOU!!!"
Aurelia's declaration echoed through the tense silence, stunning everyone around them. But Aurelia wasn't finished. With a surge of courage, she closed the gap between them in a heartbeat, her lips meeting his in a passionate kiss. The world around them seemed to fade away as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, her kiss conveying all the love and desperation she felt in that moment. Armis, wide-eyed and shocked, could do nothing but surrender to the intensity of her embrace.
After a moment of intense wrestle of their lips, Aurelia pulled away from Armis, her eyes blazing with determination and passion. She wiped away the tears and sweat from her face, her gaze piercing into Armis's soul.
"Never ever forget this, you fool," she declared, her voice a mixture of emotions.
Armis felt his cheeks flush crimson, unsure of how to respond to Aurelia's bold statement. He simply nodded, unable to form coherent words in the wake of such intensity.
Trying to break the tension, Armis shifted his gaze to address Alan, only to find him sprinting off into the jungle. Shocked, Armis watched as Alan yelled back to them.
"I've found him!!!!!" Alan's voice echoed through the trees, sending a surge of urgency through the group.
Leo jumped up with a grin, his eyes shining with adrenaline.
"Well…I am starting to like him!!!" Leo exclaimed, before darting off into the jungle after Alan, followed closely by Cesar and Felix.
Feeling a sudden surge of urgency, Armis attempted to break away from the group to follow Alan, but Aurelia quickly seized his hand, bringing him to a halt. With intense determination in her eyes, she spoke firmly.
"No, you're not going alone this time. We're going to take down that monster together!"
Armis was taken aback by the unexpected support from his friends, in the endeavour which was previously only bore by him and Alan alone.
A smile of gratitude spread across his face as he looked at each of them in turn, seeing their determination mirrored in their expressions.
"Thank you, everyone. I can't apologize enough, but I can't tell you how much I appreciate y—"
"Yeah, yeah, enough with the guilt trip," Lyco interjected, stepping forward alongside Poduria and Father Zeneth, a playful grin on his face. He glanced ahead with determination in his eyes.
"Let's crush that bastard!"
Alan leaped from tree to tree with a newfound determination to end Augustus's reign of chaos. Bursting out of the dense foliage into a small clearing, he witnessed Augustus stabbing a man with his rapier. The victim's body disintegrated into a crimson glow, instantly absorbed by Augustus and his weapon.
As the glow enveloped Augustus's body, healing and empowering him, he turned with a malicious grin towards Alan who met his gaze with a furious glare before launching himself at his foe with a powerful kick.
The force of Alan's attack shattered the earth upon impact, but Augustus deftly dodged, his rapier poised for a counterattack. With lightning reflexes, Alan bent his body to evade Augustus's rapier strike, seizing the opportunity to unleash smoke balls from his shoulders directly into Augustus's face with a resounding slap.
The smoke disoriented Augustus, causing him to cough and back away. In the moment of his distraction, Felix seized the opportunity, hurling his shield at Augustus's leg with such force and speed that it swept him off the ground. Cesar then grabbed Augustus by the hand, swinging him around like a rag doll before hurtling him towards Leo, who stood ready with his sword.
Leo unleashed a mighty slash aimed at Augustus's chest, intending to cleave him in two. However, Augustus's thick and enhanced skin thwarted Leo's blade, causing the slash to instead send Augustus hurtling away with formidable force. Augustus soared through the air at incredible speed until Armis intervened, jumping into his trajectory and catching him from behind.
With expert precision, Armis used the momentum to deliver a devastating head-crushing crescent slam on Augustus, instantly shattering the ground beneath them.
As the chaos began to settle, Augustus's body contorted unnaturally, his head turning half-way to face Armis, who remained in his crescent position. Startled by Augustus's eerie movement, Armis began to lose his grip when suddenly, the ground beneath him shifted, pulling him down with it. Augustus, suspended in the air, attempted to stab Armis, but the ground swallowed him, leaving Augustus dangling in mid-air.
Armis found himself back on solid ground beside Lyco, who had manipulated the earth to save him. Disgust filled the air as Augustus's body twisted and contorted like rubber, returning to its normal form as he landed gracefully on the ground. With his rapier aimed at Team Goliath and a feral expression on his face with his tongue out, Augustus declared, "Time to die, insects."
As Augustus summoned an energy sphere at the tip of his ruby-covered rapier and launched it towards them, a chant filled the air: "Lucis Dissipatio!!!!"
The sphere burst midway, shocking Augustus as Father Zeneth stepped forward, his back to Team Goliath, eyes filled with determination and vengeance.
"Slay the monster, and the power of Roiran shall protect you from the heathen's light," Zeneth proclaimed resolutely.
His words ignited determination in everyone, prompting them into action. Despite Augustus's continued assault in anger, each attack was met with resistance fueled by Zeneth's chants and the battle cries of their comrades charging at Augustus.
Alan leaped at Augustus with his blade, creating a barrier of smoke before engaging. Augustus, anticipating the move, retaliated with an energy blast aimed at Alan. Although the blast tore through the smoke, Alan had used the distraction to pave the way for Armis and Cesar's upcoming charge towards Augustus.
As Armis and Cesar charged at Augustus, aiming their punches, Augustus swiftly dodged by bending. However, their attack was just a setup for Felix's surprise assault from above. With a swift descent, Felix brought his shield crashing down onto Augustus's face, driving his head into the ground with force.
Following Felix's lead, Aurelia and Lyco sprang into action. Aurelia aimed her whip at Augustus's rapier hand, attempting to wrench the weapon from his grip. Despite her efforts, Augustus maintained his hold on the rapier with an iron grip. Seeing this, Lyco summoned a rock pillar from the ground beneath Augustus's arm, targeting the joint connecting his arm to his hand. The impact mangled Augustus's wrist grotesquely, but he still clung to his weapon with fierce determination.
Gritting his teeth in frustration, Lyco signaled to Poduria to join the fray. Responding to his gesture, Poduria manipulated water to form a prison around Augustus's head, attempting to suffocate him and force him to loosen his grip.
But when that didn't work and Augustus began to overpower them, attempting to stand back up, Armis and Cesar grabbed his arms and pulled him to his feet, holding him tightly in place. In a coordinated effort, Leo and Felix sprang into action from opposite sides. Leo leaped forward, swinging his sword with all his might, aiming for Augustus's back. At the same moment, Felix put all his strength into a drop kick, slamming his shield into Augustus's chest with equal force.
The collective assault elicited a pained cry from Augustus, his head encased in water now tinged crimson with his own blood that came out with his pained groan.
Before the crimson could obscure his vision, he spotted Alan descending upon him with his blade, poised for a decisive strike. Determination ignited in Augustus's clenched fists and teeth as he defied the specter of death. With an abnormal contortion of his body, he wriggled free from the group's grasp, emitting a deafening roar akin to a wild beast. This primal scream shattered the blood-infused water surrounding his head, scattering droplets in all directions.
With lightning speed, Augustus unleashed energy blasts in every direction, striking some of his assailants and forcing others to retreat. As Alan descended, attempting to maneuver in mid-air to evade Augustus, the relentless foe seized his leg in an instant and hurled him away. With a vicious motion, Augustus twirled Alan around like a ragdoll before flinging him aside.
Augustus's smoking and bloodshot eyes scanned the scene, witnessing most of his attackers lying beaten on the ground. His gaze locked onto Alan, who, though staggering, met his stare with a chilling intensity. Alan's unwavering resolve fueled Augustus's fury, as Alan muttered something in the air, it prompted Augustus to aim his rapier at Alan and charge an energy sphere.
As the sphere crackled with lethal power, ready to be unleashed upon Alan, Augustus bellowed a battle cry,
"Now Die, you imbecile, Insec—"
——swwoosshhh—— ——bHdaaammmm!!!!!——
——hererrtrtthh!!!——
Before Augustus could complete his insult and unleash his attack on Alan, a sudden whoosh filled the air. With his enhanced eyesight, Augustus saw Alan moving at blinding speed, creating a vacuum around them.
Alan closed in on Augustus, executing a swift and powerful slap kick to his face. The impact sent Augustus hurtling through the air with tremendous force, the sound of the kick barely registering due to the sheer speed of the attack. Augustus flew through the forest, crashing into the gate leading to the 30th floor. The collective force of Alan's speed, strike, and Augustus's flight echoed through the forest after Alan had performed his attack.
Alan wasted no time and followed Augustus as everyone staggered to their feet, unsure of what had just transpired, only witnessing Alan rushing out of the clearing.
Approaching the battered Augustus, Alan found him with his eyes still open, the shock and impact of Alan's attack evident on his face. Augustus stood up unsteadily, holding his torn lip with his teeth as blood dripped from every wound on his face. Furious and desperate to conceal his fear of Alan's unknown power, Augustus began to stammer, trying to delay his inevitable fate.
"You... You!!! You are not human!!!!," Alan advanced towards Augustus with a silent determination, his gaze devoid of emotion, closing the gap between them step by deliberate step. Augustus, despite his battered state, continued to voice his theories.
"Venatus was right!!!! He was damn right!!! You are not from Pompeii!!! You are an outsider!!! But…still I am sure you are no human, even outsiders have auras, I have met some, they do contain some aura, very little but it's there."
Augustus pointed his rapier at Alan as he continued his tirade, his voice tinged with desperation and fear, "But You!!! You don't have anything inside, null, just like those creatures on lower floors, but your power…what is that?!!! Witchery?!!!! Sorcery?!!! What are you!!!!"
Receiving only silence from Alan further fueled Augustus's frustration. He launched another energy ball at Alan, who effortlessly evaded it and continued his relentless advance. Teeth gritted in frustration, Augustus scanned his surroundings, his gaze falling upon Aurelia and Poduria approaching from the other side.
A twisted grin spread across Augustus's face as he saw an opportunity to use Alan's pursuit to his advantage.
With a manic leap and a swift spin, he ascended into the air, drawing Alan's attention. Unaware of the impending danger, Alan followed suit, propelling himself toward Augustus.
However, Alan failed to notice the energy slash hurtling toward Aurelia and Poduria, fired by Augustus before jumping in the air as the pair remained oblivious to the imminent threat.
Caught in a perilous moment of indecision, Alan's soulful gaze returned as he clenched his teeth. With a surge of determination, he leaped away from Augustus, intent on shielding Aurelia and Poduria from the imminent energy slash hurtling toward them.
However, still reeling from his previous exertion against Augustus, Alan's speed fell short. By the time Aurelia and Poduria noticed the impending danger, it was too late for them to evade the oncoming threat.
Alan closed his eyes, a surge of despair washing over him as Augustus's laughter filled the air. In a split second, Augustus lunged towards the gate, his rapier slicing it open with a deafening clang. As Alan's eyes flickered open, expecting to see Aurelia and Poduria in harm's way, his heart sank at the sight before him.
It wasn't Aurelia and Poduria bearing the brunt of the energy blast, but Cesar. Frozen in place, his eyes devoid of their usual vigor, Cesar stood with blood trickling from his mouth. His mask slipped from his face, revealing a mangled jaw, twisted in agony as a bloody, pained groan escaped his lips, echoing through the silent forest.